Ghosts of Christmases Past
by Kiki102
Summary: Gibbs and Jenny's first Christmas with both their girls. He was so grateful to get the chance to spend it with his family. Even though Lizzie did seem determined to pick the biggest tree there was. JIBBS maybe  some TIVA.
1. Decorations

_**I had the idea for this today when we put up our Christmas decorations. Firstly, I have a thing about traditions at Christmas. Secondly, I love tinsel and yes I usually end up wearing it. Thirdly, the ornament shop I mention is called Christmas Spirit and they have some beautiful things so I advise you to check it out. The ornament mentioned here is snowmen starry night family of four if you're interested. Fourthly (is that a word?), italics are flashbacks obviously and will explain the title. Fifthly (again, is that a word?), this will continue up to around Christmas/New year. Sixthly, I have a reusable advent calendar and get an special chocolate on my birthday, and the eleventh has the picture of a jack in the box on it. Enjoy!**_

_**Christina x**_

_**PS! the sequel to I'll be there for you is coming soon!**_

_**NCISNCISNCIS**_

"That one," Lizzie called to her parents, pointing at the ten foot Christmas tree. The first thing Gibbs thought was, _how the hell are we going to get it in the car_? Then, _never mind the car, what about the house_?  
"No Lizzie, we are not having that tree," Jenny replied.  
"Why not?"  
"It's too big."  
"We could put it at the bottom of the stairs. It would fit there," Lizzie said, turning on the puppy dog eyes. Jenny was unmoved by them.  
"No. The tree is going in the living room," she said. "And you can pout all you want Lizzie, it's tradition."

Lizzie ran on, searching for a smaller tree. Jenny glanced at Gibbs, and frowned as she noticed him smiling at her.  
"What?"  
"Tradition?"  
"I like my traditions at Christmas," she replied. "Deal with it."

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" Lizzie cried, running back towards them again. "I found the perfect tree." Gibbs and Jenny raised their eyebrows.  
"Let's go see," he smiled, taking Lizzie's hand and allowing her to drag him ahead.

"Your sister gets way to excited about Christmas," Jenny said to her four months old daughter Ava. "I hope you're calmer about it when you get older. I don't think I can handle two of you jumping about like that." Ava simply giggled, causing her mom to smile.

"Look," Lizzie said breathlessly, pointing at the tree. Her green eyes sparkled, her cheeks were red with the cold, and her breath made a cloud. Gibbs smiled, so grateful to be getting this chance to spend Christmas with his family.  
"Yeah, that tree's pretty good," he said, silently deciding there was no way in hell they were getting that tree. "But what about this one?" he asked, pointing to a healthier looking specimen. Lizzie considered it for a moment.  
"Okay," she replied.  
"Let's go tell mom and Ava," he said, scooping her up on impulse. Lizzie was really getting to big for him to carry her, but he didn't mind a bit of pain in his back or legs, especially not when she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and whispered, "I love you daddy."

XOXOXOX

Gibbs paused in putting tinsel on the tree to watch Lizzie as she danced around to the Christmas CD currently playing, tinsel tied round her waist and draped over her arms like a shawl. Eventually she noticed him and stopped.  
"What?" she asked.  
"Nothing," he replied, finishing putting the tinsel on the tree. "Ready to help me with the baubles?"  
"Yeah!" Lizzie grinned, running over.

Jenny came into the room and put Ava into her playpen, before joining them, taking an ornament out of a box, wrapped in tissue paper.  
"I ordered this from a shop in Maine a few weeks ago," she explained, before handing the ornament to Gibbs. It had two tall snowmen and two smaller snowmen. The two taller ones had _Jethro_ and _Jenny_ written on them and the smaller ones _Lizzie_ and _Ava_.  
"Lizzie, want to help put it on?" he asked.  
"Sure," she replied. He handed the ornament back to Jenny then picked up Lizzie. Jenny passed it to her daughter, who hung it in pride of place on the tree.  
"Perfect," Jenny smiled.

Lizzie ran over, strips of coloured paper in her hands.  
"Will you help me make paper chains?" she asked.  
"Sure," Gibbs smiled.

"_Mommy! Look at the paper chains we made at school," Kelly cried excitedly. "Can we put them up in the living room?"_  
"_Of course," Shannon smiled. "How about we make some more so that there's enough to go all the way round the room?"__  
"Yeah!" Kelly replied. Gibbs smiled as he watched his wife and daughter make paperchains, Shannon's perfect ovals, while Kelly's were more wobbly. The look of total concentration on his daughter's face was so cute. The stubborn frown, and her lip chewed between her teeth as she tried to make her chains just like her mom's._

XOXOXOX

"Mom, can I have my advent calendar chocolate now?" Lizzie asked.  
"Okay," Jenny replied, getting up from the couch and following her daughter through to the kitchen to where her advent calendar was hung. It was an annual one, which Jenny filled each year. She was surprised that Lizzie didn't know exactly where each day was by now, since she'd had it for five years. Of course, she knew exactly where the nineteenth, her birthday, was.  
"Found it!" Lizzie said, pulling out the bar of chocolate.  
"What's the picture?" Jenny asked.  
"Jack in the box," Lizzie smiled up at her.  
"How many days to go?"  
"Eight to my birthday, fourteen to Christmas."


	2. Friendship and Family

**Because we all wanted it to happen, here is Jenny v Diane. Oh, so fun to write! The snow has returned here and because we are a useless bunch, the country has come to a standstill again. Hence, why I put in about the roads being a nightmare. I have no idea what it's like in DC in the winter. **

**Skye Sweetnam's recording a third album! Because I'm so happy about that, her music is mentioned in this chapter.**

**I'm feeling like a total idiot today. I really need an anti-men rant with someone! (No offense to any guys out there!) Please give me some nice reviews to cheer me up. **

**Christina x**

**NCISNCISNCIS**

Fornell smiled as his daughter and Lizzie Gibbs ran excitedly round the house, still on a sugar high that may have been ever so slightly his fault. Well, Christmas only came once a year, right? And he knew Gibbs and Jenny didn't mind Lizzie coming home on a sugar high. The only problem was it had slipped his mind that his ex-wife was coming over to pick up Emily later. Well, later was a bit of an exaggeration, Diane would be here any minute. Unfortunately the snow had held Jenny up at work, and Gibbs had a case. Not that the two girls saw it that way of course.

The doorbell rang with a ferocity that could only be from his charming ex-wife. Fornell groaned silently, before forcing himself to answer the door.  
"Diane," he said, forcing a smile.  
"Tobias," Diane replied icily. "Is Emily ready?"  
"Nearly," Fornell replied.  
"Well, can you get her?" Diane snapped.  
"Em," he called. "Mom's here."

Lizzie and Emily came running through.  
"Hi mommy," Emily smiled.  
"Are you ready Emily?" Diane asked, before looking curiously at Lizzie.  
"Lizzie's parents got caught up with work and the weather," Fornell explained.

Jenny pulled up outside Fornell's house, and quickly pulled on her jumper, before jumping out and making her way up the path carefully, in case of ice. She saw Fornell, and Emily and Lizzie standing at the door, talking to someone, whose back was to Jenny.  
"Mom!" Lizzie called, spying her mother. Jenny waved. Fornell and Emily returned her wave.

As she drew closer, Jenny realised who Fornell was talking to, Diane. She groaned silently and swore under her breath.  
"Hi Jenny," Fornell called.  
"Sorry I'm late," she replied. "The traffic's a nightmare with all this snow. I've had to confiscate Jethro and Ziva's keys so they don't cause an accident. Diane."  
"Jennifer," Diane said, crossing her arms and looking at Jenny through narrowed eyes.  
"Girls, why don't you go get your things?" Fornell suggested, knowing that seeing a face off between their mom's wasn't what either girl needed to see. Besides, the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Are we still good for Wednesday?" Jenny asked, breaking the silence.  
"Yes," Fornell replied.  
"What's on Wednesday?" Diane asked, without looking away from Jenny.  
"Lizzie's birthday," Jenny explained. "Emily's coming over. Of course, Tobias is invited as well. But I suspect he might escape with Jethro to his basement." Jenny took great satisfaction in the look on Diane's face. Lizzie and Emily could be heard coming back towards the door. Jenny flashed a triumphant smile to Diane. "Ready honey?" she asked Lizzie.  
"Yeah mom," Lizzie replied. "Bye Emily."  
"Bye Lizzie, bye Mrs Shepard," Emily waved. Jenny didn't bother to correct her on her title. It was more fun to see Diane squirm.  
"Bye Emily. See you Wednesday," Jenny said. "Lizzie, what do you say?"  
"Thank you Agent Fornell for having me over."  
"It was no trouble Lizzie," Fornell smiled, loving the look on his ex's face almost as much as Jenny.

XOXOXOX

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie! Happy Birthday!" Abby squealed, running forward and hugging her.  
"Thanks Abby," Lizzie grinned.  
"Happy birthday," Abby repeated, producing a present from her bag.  
"Hey Liz, how does it feel to be nine?" Tony asked as Lizzie jumped up on the couch and started ripping open Abby's present.  
"Feels exactly the same as being eight did," she replied, sounding slightly disappointed.  
"Open this one next," Tony said, putting another present on the couch next to her. "It's from me and Ziva."

Lizzie gave him a look, one that was eerily like Gibbs, and make Tony feel uncomfortable. Surely Lizzie wouldn't figure out that they were together? They'd been so careful the last couple of months, for fear of major heapslaps from Gibbs.

A few hours later, and Lizzie and Emily were happily dancing around the room to the Skye Sweetnam CD Emily and Fornell had bought Lizzie, every so often joined by Abby. Lizzie sang along to the lyrics as she danced, "I like when things are crazy and insane, don't wanna be tame..." Gibbs smiled, standing in the doorway watching the two girls.

"_Everytime we meet oh I try to hide away, but when we meet it seems I can't let go, everytime you leave the room I feel I'm fading like a flower..." Kelly sang, jumping up and down in time to the music, while watching the music channel on the TV. "Mommy, join in," she called. Shannon sighed dramatically, then got up off the couch and joined her daughter dancing in the middle of their living room._

**NCISNCISNCIS**

**Short and fluffy I'm afraid, unless you like short and fluffy that is. :)**

**Christina x**


	3. Showtime

**Okay, I lied, I said this would be finished by New Year. And it's now April... Yeah, sorry bout that. But I'm trying to focus on getting my current stories finished before I start any more. So at the moment the focus is this one, Letters and my Dirty Dancing fic. Just so you all know :)**

**Christina x**

**NCISNCISNCIS**

"Are you sure you don't mind missing the concert?" Jenny asked worriedly.  
"Of course not," Amee smiled. "Besides, it means I get to spend some time with this cutie," she added, tickling Ava's stomach, causing her to giggle. "Go, have fun."

Reluctantly, Jenny left Ava with Amee. Despite being back at work for over a month, she still found it hard to leave her baby. It was the same when Lizzie was born. But back then she didn't have Amee. She'd had a few disasters with different nannies. Amee was different, she was almost like a third daughter to Jenny.

"DiNozzo and Ziva are meeting us there, Ducky's had to cancel and Abby and McGee are waiting for us to pick them up because Abby's car doesn't have snow tires," Gibbs informed her as she slipped into the passenger seat. Jenny clipped on her seat belt, a necessity when Gibbs was driving but especially in this weather.  
"Let's go, Lizzie'll kill us if we're late," she smiled, leaning over to kiss him.

XOXOXOX

"Hey boss, Director," Tony flashed them a grin as they sat down next to them. "Hey Abs, McGoo."  
"Shalom Jenny, Gibbs," Ziva said, leaning forward to see past Tony. "McGee, Abby."  
"Interesting that they arrived before us," Abby whispered in McGee's ear. "And that they're sitting together."  
"Tony and Ziva? Yeah right Abby," McGee replied, sitting down, sandwiched between her and Jenny.

"So what's this actually about?" Tony asked. "Cause I asked Lizzie but she didn't make much sense."  
"When it start's we'll all find out," Jenny smiled, leaning forward to speak over Gibbs to Tony. "None of us are exactly sure. All we know is that Lizzie is the littlest angel and it's a very important part."

Once the lights dimmed and the show started, Tony sneaked his hand across and took Ziva's hand. She glanced at him, smiling, before turning her attention back to the stage. They just prayed Gibbs wouldn't notice. There was little chance of that happening. Gibbs had never seen his daughter perform, except for the performances she dreamed up in her bedroom before putting on for them. Seeing her on stage made pride flare up in him, and brought on a strong feeling of deja vu.

"_Daddy, daddy! Did you see me?" Kelly cried, running up to him, still dressed in her fairy outfit._  
"_Yeah, you were amazing," he replied, scooping her up in his arms. She giggled. "Definately Broadway material," he added._  
"_Jethro," Shannon scolded._  
"_What?" he asked innocently._  
"_Was I the best?" Kelly asked.__  
"Best fairy in the world," he declared_.

Jenny leaned against him, enjoying the feeling of closeness and family surrounding them. She'd missed her daughter so much when she'd been traveling due to work, and loved having her here now. She loved having Gibbs' arm around her shoulders, and her adopted family sitting on either side of her, and knowing her baby was waiting at home for her.

XOXOXOX

"Was I good? Was I good?" Lizzie asked as she ran up to her family.  
"Wow, what an outfit," Tony whispered to Ziva as Lizzie hugged her parents. She'd taken off the white dress she'd worn in the play, and was wearing jeans an a t-shirt, with silver sparkley pumps and angels wings and headdress.  
"She is only nine," Ziva reminded him.  
"Of course you were good, you were great," Jenny told her daughter, kissing her forehead, before picking her up.  
"Really?" Lizzie looked to her dad for confirmation. Gibbs nodded.  
"Brilliant," he said.  
"Yeah," Tony added. "Like... Elizabeth Taylor! She's an actress. She was a child star, then became really, really famous as an adult. Married seven times, that's even more than you boss, six husbands cause she married the same guy twice. Starred in Cleopatra with Richard Burton, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Paul Newman, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, she won an Oscar for that-"  
"Tony please!" Ziva said.  
"Sorry. Sorry Liz."


	4. Traditions

"Hand it over," Jenny ordered, holding out her hand, in a tone that said she was not to be argued with.

"Hold what over?" Gibbs asked, slightly confused at being pounced on in this way by his partner the minute he stepped through the front door. He was used to Lizzie throwing herself at him, or Ava's cries meeting his ears, or the smell of Noemi's cooking, but this was a surprise.  
"Cell phone. Now," she replied.  
"Why?" he asked, handing it over.  
"It's Christmas and I do not care who gets shot at, murdered, robbed, raped, kidnapped or attacked, you are spending the whole day with us. Otherwise I, and your daughter for that matter, will never forgive you."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, smiling slightly, enjoying seeing this side of Jenny he barely knew existed.  
"You'll get it back on Boxing Day," she called over her shoulder as she went upstairs.

"Hi daddy," Lizzie said, grinning up at him with flour down her nose.  
"Hey," he said, kissing the top of her head. "What're you making?" he asked, wiping the flour from her cheeks.  
"Chocolate chip cookies," she replied. "Mom's cooking Shepherd's Pie for dinner.." Gibbs frowned. Jenny wasn't exactly the greatest cook in the world. Which was why he was so thankful they had Noemi. Lizzie grinned, noticing his expression. "It's amazing," she assured him. "She learned how to make it in England. It's her specialty."  
"Are you doubting my cooking Jethro?" Jenny asked.  
"You gave me, Burley, Decker and Ducky food poisoning in Paris," he reminded her.  
"That was some pasta and chicken dish and technically not my fault. The chicken hadn't been stored properly at the store."  
"I have complete faith in you," he said, putting his arms around her waist and kissing her.  
'Why don't I believe you?" she smiled. "You nearly finished Lizzie?"  
"Yep. Just need a tray to put them on."  
"Drawer under the oven," Jenny told her.

XOXOXOX

"Is there a reason why we're eating in the sitting room?" Gibbs asked.  
"It's Christmas Eve," Jenny called from the kitchen. Gibbs frowned, still staring at the coffee table which had been set with three places, Ava in her playpen, and Lizzie curled on the sofa, flicking through the channels. She glanced up at her dad.

_Care to elaborate?_ he asked silently._  
Don't you get it by now?_ she replied silently, rolling her eyes and sighing slightly.  
"We always eat dinner in the sitting room on Christmas Eve," she explained. "It's tradition." _And you know what mom's like about tradition at Christmas_, she added silently.

"Hey, no talking about me," Jenny called.  
"We weren't," Lizzie replied.  
"Maybe not out loud but I know you two."

Smiling, Gibbs sat down next to his daughter. Lizzie continued to flick through the channels, searching for a movie to watch, before settling on Flicka.

"_Will you read me a story daddy?" Kelly asked._  
"_Sure," Gibbs replied, sitting down on her bed next to her. "What do you want me to read?"_  
"_Flicka, that auntie Shayne bought me," she said, passing him the book._  
"_One chapter then, cause you need to get your sleep for tomorrow."_  
"_Is Nana coming for dinner?"_  
"_Yeah."_  
"_Is Grandpa coming to visit too?"__  
"Maybe next year Kels."_

XOXOXOX

Jenny kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, careful to avoid putting them on the dirty plates. Ava had a strand of her hair wrapped around her tiny fist as she slept in Jenny's arms. Her elder daughter was struggling to stay awake on the couch next to Gibbs as they watched a re-run of an old Christmas special. Gibbs had his arm around Lizzie, and she had snuggled close to him about an hour ago. Jenny smiled softly, wishing she could capture this moment forever, just the four of them, happy, together, a family. It was a long time since she'd felt family.

"Lizzie, I think it's time for bed," she said eventually.  
"Mom!"  
"No arguments. Go get a piece of birthday cake for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. If you're good, dad might let you have some of his bourbon for Santa. I'll get your stockings."

"_Time for bed Kelly," Shannon said._  
"_But mom, I'm not tired," Kelly protested. "I don't wanna go to bed!"_  
"_But if you don't go to bed you won't get any presents," Gibbs said seriously._  
"_Why not?" Kelly asked, looking horrified from parent to parent._  
"_Because Santa only comes if your sound asleep," Shannon explained, crouching down in front of her. "If he thinks you might be the tiniest bit awake, he won't come."_  
"_Why?"_  
"_Because someone might see him," Gibbs said, taking over from his wife. "And that wouldn't be good."_  
"_Wouldn't it?"_  
"_No," Shannon shook her head._  
"_No," Gibbs agreed. "Because if anyone saw him they would tell the world what he looks like so everyone would know who Santa was. And then none of the kids would get any presents, especially the ones whose moms and dads rely on Santa for presents because they don't have enough money to buy presents themselves."_  
"_But if I'm proper asleep he'll come right?"_  
"_Only if you're sound asleep, tucked up with Teddy," Shannon said._  
"_Okay let's go," Kelly said, jumping up._  
"_Do you want to leave something for Santa to eat and drink?" Shannon asked. "Because he gets hungry and thirsty going up and down all those chimneys."_  
"_Yeah!"_  
"_What will we leave him?"_  
"_Cake!"_  
"_And to drink?"_  
"_Milk?"_  
"_Yeah, or we could ask daddy very nicely and see if he'll let Santa have some of his bourbon."_  
"_Please daddy?" Kelly pleaded, looking at him her eyes wide._  
"_Only because it's Santa," Gibbs replied._  
"_What about Rudolph?" Kelly asked worriedly. "He'll be hungry too."_  
"_We'll leave him a carrot," Shannon promised._  
"_Okay," Kelly replied satisfied._

Lizzie arranged the two plates and the glass carefully on the now cleared coffee table, before leaning back to scrutinize her work.  
"Where's my stockings?" she asked, jumping up.  
"Here," Jenny handed her them carefully, making sure not to wake Ava. "I'm going to put your sister down, I'll be back in a minute."

Lizzie hung the smaller of her two stockings up on a hook by the fireplace, then put the other out carefully on the footstool.  
"Dad?" she asked suddenly.  
"Yeah?" Gibbs crouched down next to her.  
"If Santa's fat, how does he fit down the chimney?"  
"Magic," he replied, tickling her, then picking her up. "Come on sleepyhead."  
"I'm not sleepy!" Lizzie giggled as he carried her upstairs.  
"Santa won't come unless you're asleep," he reminded her.  
"What if I pretend really well?"  
"Santa will know, and then you won't get any presents," he teased.  
"Daddy put me down!" Lizzie laughed.

Gibbs swung her down, putting her down carefully on her bed.  
"Night Lizzie," he said, kissing her.  
"Night daddy," she hugged him. Jenny came in and took his place next to Lizzie.  
"Good night Lizzie," she said, smoothing her daughter's hair back off her face.  
"Night mom. Six am?"  
"Nine," Jenny replied.  
"Seven?"  
"Eight," Jenny bargained.  
"Seven thirty?"  
"Eight," she repeated before flicking off the light.

"See you at seven mom!" Lizzie called as she closed the door.

**XOXOXOX**

**I'm like Jenny, I love my traditions at Christmas. one more chapter to go :)**

**Christina x**


End file.
